Dead Meat-2004

Think 'Shaun Of the Dead' set in rural Ireland, with a wee bit of 'Blair Witch Project' thrown in and you're on the right dirt track for getting a feel of what 'Dead Meat' is about. This Irish independent zombie flick starts with the usual hoo-haa about viruses spreading. This time, however, it's due to a bizarre strain of mad cow disease, resulting in rampant local farmers terrorising the countryside in which our heroine, a blatantly Irish looking lass playing a French girl, finds her cute little pajama clad arse stuck. Along the muddy way our feisty lead bumps into local gravedigger, Desmond. Together they make their way over to Desmond's farmyard, wherein they find a terrified child and a mad-as-tartan couple of yokels kick-starting their jeep.

There's a chaotic beauty to this flick which you'll either love or hate, but it'll have you guessing just what the feck is going to happen from green pastured start to blood soaked finish. The gore really impressed me for the most part, whilst at other times looking iffy. Similar could be said regarding the zombie make-up. However, some innovative touches, such as an infected cow attack and a field full of sleeping zombies (like cows they sleep whilst standing up) made this little number a direct entry into my Indie horror top ten.

There may be a few niggles for non-Irish viewers to be wary of, such as the unapologetically thick Irish dialogue and local trademark humour. Both could well be hit-or-miss with an international audience.

All in all, this is a winner, which makes me proud to be an Irishman. Oh, to be sure to be sure!

Tagline: It's not what you eat, it's who you eat!
Directed by Conor McMahon

Review by Spiral (Wayne Simmons).